The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-07-08
THE WITCH'S HEAD.
By II. RIDER HAGGARD.

~ am willing to do that IL he will apollo.
gize for the terms he used in connection with
my mother.n
"Ahl" said the gallant captain, "the young
gentleman is coming to reason"
ale also demands that you should hand
over the note you received from the lady"
"That | certainly shall not do" he an
swered, and drawing the card from his
pocket he tore it into fragments, unread
Capt. Justice bowed and left the room. In
q few minutes he returned, and, addressing
Mr.. Aston and Ernest, said:
"Mr. kershaw is not satisfied with what you
offer to do. He declines to apologize for any
expression that he may have used in reference
to your mother, and he now wishes you to
choose between signing an apology which I
shall dictate, or meeting him tomorrow
morning You must remember that we are
In France, whereyou cannot insult man on
the payment of forty shilings"
Ernest felt the blood run to his heart He
understood now what Captain Justice meant.
He answered simply:
~ shall be very happy to meet my cousin
in whatever place and way you and Mr..
Aston may agree upon," and then he returned
to his chair and gave himself up to the enjoy.
ment of his pipe and an entirely new set Of
sensations.
Captain Justice gazed after him pitngly.
al am sorry for him." he said to Mr. Aston;
"Kershaw is, l believe, good shot with
pistols Isuppose you will choose pistols; il
would be difficult to get swords in such a
hurry. He is fine young fellow. took it
coolly, by Georgel Well, don't think that
he will trouble the world much longer"
"This is silly business, and likely to land
us all in q nasty mess. Is there no way out Of
itr
"None that know Of, unless your young
friend will eat dirt He is nasty tempered
fellow, Kershaw, and wild about that woman,
over whom he has spent thousands. Nor is he
likely to forgive being rolled in the gutter.
You had better get your man to give in, for
if you don't Kershaw will kill him."
at is 10 good talking of it. l have lived a
rough life, and know what men are made Of
He is not of that sort, Besides your man Is
in the wrong, not that boy. If anybody
| spoke of my mother like that would shoe,
him."
"very good, Mr.. Aston And now about
the pistols; have none"
81 have a pair OF Smith & Wesson revolver,
that | bought yesterday to take out to Africs
| with me. They throw very heavy bullet
Capt. Justice"
"Too heavy. If one of them 1, hit anywher,
In the body"--- He did not finish his sen
tence.
Mr.. Aston nodded. ave must put then
| twenty PAGES apart to give them a chance o
missing. And now about the place and tn
time"
| 81 know place on the beach, about mil
and half from here, that will do very well
NsNttfr Invxr, tlnt OF, gtt.t1y IA
beach, then turn to your right and follow
the line Of the sea till you come to Il deserte
hut or cottage There we will meet you"
"At what timer
"Let ME seel shall we say 4:45i 1t will b
light enough for us then"
every good. The Newhaven boat leaves q
6:S0 | am going to see about getting m
things ready to go to meet it, should at
wise you to do the same, Capt Justice W
had better not return here after it is over"
| "No"
And then they parted
Luckily the manager Of the hotel had nc
gone to bed, so the various parties concerne
were able to pay their bills and make arrang'
ments about their luggage being sent to met
the early boat without exciting the slightes
suspicion. Ernest wrote a note, and left it I
be given to his friend when he should arriy
on the morrow, in which he stated myst
riously that business had called him ava!
He could not help smiling to himself sadl
when he thought that his business might |
of sort that it would take all eternity
settle.
Then he went to his room and wrote tvs
letters, one to Eva and one to Dorothy. NJ
Aston was to post them if anything ha
pened to him. The first was of passona
nature, and breathed hopes of a reunion
another place-ah, how fondly the poC
human heart clings to that idea!-the secon
collected and sensible enough. The lette
finished, he followed Mr.. Alston's advice, u
dressed and took a bath, then he said his pra
ers-the prayers his mother had taught him
put on a quiet, dark suit of clothes and wei
and sat by the open window. The night WI
very still and fragrant with the sweet, stror
breath of the sea. Not sound came fro
the quaint town beneath all was at peac
Ernest, sitting there, wondered whether
he would live to see another night, and, if nc
what the nights were like in the land whith
he was journeying. And as he thought of
the gray damps that hide the unris'
world from our gaze struck into his soul al
made him feel afraid. Not afraid Of deaf
but afraid of the empty loneliness beyond it
of the cold air Of an infinite space in whit
nothing human can live. Would his moth
meet him there, he wondered, or would S
put him from her, coming with blood up'
his handsi And then he thought of Eva, al
in his solitude tear gathered in his da
eyes. 1t seemed SO hard to go to that 9th
place without her.